NUMBERS 32:11-12 : Surely none of the men who came up from Egypt, from twenty years old and
above, shall see the land of which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, because they have not
wholly followed Me, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh, the Kenizzite, and Joshua the son of Nun,
for they have wholly followed the LORD.
A few years ago, prominent members of society gathered in the Saints Peter and Paul Church in San
Francisco for a wed­ ding. The bride was dazzling in her wed­ ding gown and the service was elegant
m its execution. But when it came to that all­ important moment to say “I do,” the bride hesitated and
then replied, “I just can’t make up my mind.” The minister waited a moment and then announced to
the audience that the wedding was off.
The reception was cancelled and thousands of dollars’ worth of food was given away. A week later,
however, the bride asked for the wedding to proceed. Her uncertainty, she claimed, “was just do to
nerves.”
Fortunately, •Joshua, along with Caleb, never had such moments of uncertainty. No less than five
times (Num. 32:12; Deut.1:36; Josh. 14:8, 9, 14) the Bible says Joshua “wholly” followed the Lord.
There was no hesitation, no second thoughts, and no vain regrets. Instead, he gave himself to be and
do all that God desired of him.
His life had no room for a “maybe,” or a tentative “let me think about it.” Joshua’s mind was made up;
he would totally serve the Lord. When it comes time to give a clear testimony for the Lord, Christians
often seem to be afflicted with a bad case of the nerves.
They stutter and stumble and just can’t seem to “make up their minds.” George Gallup, in his studies
on American church life, noted that America is a nation of nominal believers, many belonging to a
church but few attending. They just can’t make up their minds to take a stand for the Lord.
Let’s put behind us all our indecisiveness. When the opportunity comes to take a stand for Christ,
whether by witnessing for Him or simply identifying with a local assembly of believers, don’t hesitate.
“Wholly” follow the Lord.
A HOLY RESPONSE COMES FROM A WHOLLY COMMITTED HEART.